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The Church of the Goddesses
The Goddesses claim approximately one third of the world’s population among their worshippers. This, in addition to the unified nature of the Church, gives it a political clout greater than any single nation. Each Goddess has her own tenets and dogma, but the Church itself is a unified group, rather than three or five separate churches who happen to worship the same pantheon. In general the Church seeks to grow and gain converts, using the comforting idea of a literal higher power guiding your life and providing solid moral and spiritual grounding as a draw. The Church encourages adventurers and heroes to fight back against the encroaching wilds and tame the land for use by civilizations, and has been known to provide free services or funding to heroes seeking to do just that. A major part of the Church’s message is the importance of the Blood War, and the need for powerful heroes to rise up and join in the fight. Many of the Church’s own clerics take up that calling, seeking power in the world so that they may aid in the efforts of the Celestial Realms. The Church’s centers of power are the Cathedrals, each dedicated to one of the five Goddesses. The Cathedral of Sharra is in Magar, the Cathedral of Galadia is in Avvar In-the-Sky, the Cathedral of Duria is in Crosslands, the Cathedral of the Dual Goddess is in Genasic and the Cathedral of the Wandering Goddess is in Deacon’s Stand. These Cathedrals are the primary stops on every Goddess Cycle, and the cities they are in have tens of thousands of pilgrims flood them during the Cycles, hoping for a glimpse or even an audience with their Goddess. The Church functions on a strict hierarchy, with the High Priests of each Goddess at the top forming a council that directs the affairs of the Church. From there the chain of command is broken down into continents, then regions, then nations, and finally individual houses of worship. Minor churches usually have one or two Clerics, with several Adepts aiding them. Larger churches, like the prime churches of minor nations, can house a dozen or more trained Clerics and acolytes, as well as scores of scribes, clerks and Adepts, all lead by a Head Priest. Major Churches often contain a hundred or more Clerics, sometimes even with attached monasteries, along with legions of laymen aides, and is led by a Bishop or Cardinal. Cathedrals are centers of learning and power, and contain sometimes as many as a thousand fully-trained Clerics, always with attached martial monasteries, and thousands of laymen, all led by the High Priest of the Goddess. The Church also has several Orders, whose members work towards specific goals while also fulfilling the agenda of the Church as a whole. These Orders are sometimes secret, but often merely secretive. They sometimes have advanced and esoteric training that gives their chosen members special advantages (Prestige Classes). Most of these Orders operate with the knowledge and blessing of the High Priests, but there are always rumors of splinter groups within the Church that have radical agendas that do not truly mesh with the rest of the Church. The Church does not interfere with Secular or Arcane affairs, save when they directly affect the Church itself, and so are considered neutral in any such conflict. Category:World Powers